Automatic stoker.



D. T. WILLIAMS.

AUTOMATIC STOKER,

APPLIGATIQH FILED 5,211.13. x91 4,

Patnted Dec. 1. 1914.

a SHEET SHEET 1.

Ill/MENTOR;

Millie/11S, D

wL- 'l nrrormsr QTY "E8858 D. T. WILLIAMS.

AUTOMATIO STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18. 1914.

Patented Dec. 1. 1914.

a sums-slum 2.

l IWEIIITORJ ATTORNEY- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Dec. 1. 1914."

D. WILLIAMS.

AUTOMATIC STOKER- APPLICATION FILED APR.18, 1914 INVENTOR, DON/5J1"Williams,

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

DAVID T. 'WTLLIAMS, QF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD STOKERCOMPANY, INC., 01: WILMINGTON. DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC STOKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914..

Application filed April 18, 1914. Serial No. 832,730.

fication.

This invention relates to stoking equipment for locomotives.

One of the objects of the invention is to construct the two portions ofthat type of stoking equipment which comprises a forward and an afterportion so related to each otherthat the after portion discharges intoan upwardly open hopper or receiver forming a part of the forwardportion and from which receiver the fuel is suitably advanced to thefire so that the discharge from the after portion shall be distributedinstead of always at one place in the receiver, whereby the ,means whichadvances the fuel from the receiver to the fire may operate withincreased efficiency.

Another object of the invention is so to construct and arrange the partsof a stoker equipment employing screw means .to advance the fuelforwardly to the fire as to bring about increased efiiciency and make itunnecessary to provide the gearing or the like whereby said means isdriven with means to prevent the same from becoming clogged withparticles of the fuel escaping from the means through which the fuel isadvanced.

The invention will be found fully illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved equipment inplace on a locomotive and its tender; Fig. 2 is a plan of the-essentialpartsof the equipment, the tender appearing in horizontal section; Figs.3, 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views on lines wm, y-y and.2-2 ofFig. 1; and, Fig. 6 illustrates a detail.

The locomotive (1 having the fire-box b andthe rearwardly projectingframe structure 0 is of usual construction. The tender d has the bottomof its fuel bunker 6 formed as walls 7 which incline from the sides ofthe tender, being supported at their inner edges by the angle irons gsecured along the upper edges of spaced vertical walls It extendinglongitudinally of the tender and connected by a horizontal wall z' whichforms therewith an elongated space or channel 7'. The channel j iscovered from the walls f forwardly by the fixed plate is forming thedeck of the tender, but between the walls f 1t is open, excepting'forthe cover plates Z which are placed in partly. covering relation to thechannel when the bunker is first filled, being successively removed orshifted as the body of fuel in the bunker is reduced until all of thefuel has been withdrawn from the bunker.

The structure 0 supports the means for receiving the fuel from thetender to be thereupon advanced to the fire. This includes in thepresent instance a passaged structure on whose forward tubular portion mprojects upwardly through the grate 'n of the locomotive and which atthe rear is provided with an upwardly open receiver 0 having a widemouth and in transverse section appearing substantially V-shaped (Fig.5). Also included in the said means are a rotary horizontal screw p anda rotary vertical screw naled in brackets depending fromfthe re-"cei'ver 0 (Fig. 5) and carrying a worm s which meshes with a worm-wheel.9 arranged fixed on the protruding end of the shaft 7). Said end ofsaid shaft carries a gear s which meshes with a gear 8* on the shaft 8arranged parallel with and below the screw 3; and journaled in thedrawhead a of the locomotive and carrying at its forward end bevel gear3 meshing with a bevel gear 8 on the shaft g. Means is thus provided fordriv'ingthe two screws which is efiicient in character and whichincludes power-applying and transmitting means that is entirely exteriorof the structure m, so that special provision of means to prevent thegearing involved from becoming clogged with particles of the fuelescaping from said structure is unnecessary. In the channel 1 slideslongitudinally an upwardly open trough t somewhat wider than the spacebetween the adjoining edges of the angle irons g, the said trough beingadapted to be re ciproca ted in the channel and extending sufficientlyfar forward so that its forward end overhangs in any position thereofthereceiver o. Preferably this trough is provided with flanged rollersat running on the rails 11 arranged at the bottom of the channel 7' itmay be reciprooated by the engine w shown in Fig. 1, with whose pistonit is suitably connected by a crank 10.

When the apparatus is in operation, the fuel of course finds its wayfrom the bunker into the trough, and on each forward movement of thetrough the part of the fuel therein is bodily carried forward thereby.To check the rearward movement of the fuel in the trough as the lattermoves rearwardly, whereby to accomplish the delivery of the fuel fromthe front end of the trough into the receiver, I provide a checkingmeans preferably consisting of series of fuel checks m, each seriesbeing pivotally suspended from a shaft 3 (supported in the walls h) anddepending into the trough -t. Each check is free to swing forward on itsaxis to a substantially horizontal position, but it is limited againstswinging rearwardly past the vertical by a lug 2 thereon coming incontact with a suitable stop-bar 2-. Inthe detail shown in Fig. 6, theshaft 3 and bar 2 are each supported at each end by a bracket 3 boltedto the angle iron 9.

The operation of the mechanism will be obvious in view of the foregoing:On each forward movement of the trough the checks .1; yield forwardly tothe advancing fuel therein; on each rearward movement the checks come toa stop against the bars 2 so that, as the trough continues to recede,the body of fuel therein is delivered therefrom at its forward end intothe receiver. The manner of the delivery is such, due to the coincidentrearward movement of the trough, that the fuel is distributed along thelength, more or less, of the screw 2 (kept constantly rotating by themeans described),

instead of continuously at one point.

It will be understood on reference to Fig. 5 that the relative widths ofthe trough and receiver 0 are such that the trough in swing inglaterally will always overhang the receiver.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, with alocomotive-andtender system including a locomotive firebox, a.tender-bunker, a receiver and means to advance the fuel from thereceiver to the fire-box, means to advance the fuel from the bunker tothe receiver comprising a longitudinally reciprocating trough having oneend overhanging the receiver and a fuel check cooperative with thetrough and relatively to which said trough reciprocates, said checkbeing yieldable to the movement of the fuel past the same toward thesaid end of the trough. v

2. In combination, with a locomotive-andtencler system including alocomotive firebox, a tender-bunker, a receiver and means to advance thefuel from the receiver to the fire-box, means to advance the fuel fromthe bunker to the receiver comprising a longitudinally reciprocatingtrough having one "end overhanging the receiver and a fuel checkcooperative with the trough and relatively to which said troughreciprocate's, said check being pivotally yieldable to the movement ofthe fuel past the same toward the said end of the trough.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID T. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

JOHN WV. b'l'EWARD,

WM. D. BELL.

